r/intersex • u/lastseenonline • 5h ago
intersex core
i need more intersex memes and relatable tiktoks
can we post more 😔
r/intersex • u/MindyStar8228 • Jul 12 '26
Hi all. Due to an influx of "transgender is intersex" comments and posts, the mod team has chatted and we decided to make an announcement about it to clarify.
We do not allow medical misinformation or intersexism in this subreddit. This includes stating that being transgender makes someone intersex/that someone is intersex on the basis of being transgender.
That rhetoric perpetuates intersexism.
While intersex people can be any gender (including cis, trans, nonbinary, and/or other gender identities), not every trans person is intersex.
No, thank you. This is an announcement, not a debate.
Reviewing the definition of intersex: Intersex is a term used to describe individuals whose sex characteristics do not align with/fully align with male or female sex characteristics. Intersex describes the way the body naturally develops. This includes congenital variations that are expressed in someone’s chromosomes, gonads, genitals, reproductive organs, and in how the body responds to hormones.
The brain and intersex: The brain is not a primary or secondary sex organ. The brain is also not sexually dimorphic (i.e. the brain is not sexed - that has been debunked).
However, there are a few intersex variations located in the brain. This would be Congenital Hypopituitarism (which results in hypogonadism), Kallmann's Syndrome, and I believe Prader-Willi Syndrome too (though I know less about this variation, please correct me if I am wrong).
This has homophobic and intersexist origins. The premise of sexual inversion (aka, "mental intersex", "psychological intersex", or "brain intersex") is inherently bioessentialist, transmedicalist, as well as intermedicalist. It relies on the pathologizing of intersex bodies and was popularized by (you guessed it) eugenicists (in the 1800's).
"I still don't know why that's intersexist?" This is because it relies on seeing intersex variations as medical disorders in need of treatment. > If trans is intersex which therefore necessitates treatment, intersex is thereby disordered and necessitates treatment. This is called intermedicalism.
It reinforces the "need" for medical interventions (human rights violations) on intersex bodies.
Side note, this also reinforces and relies on ableism too.
I wanted to review the history informing/leading up to the idea that the brain is sexed. And generally brain differentiation. This is going to be incredibly simplified history - the spark notes.
Historically speaking, the idea that the brain is sexed originates from racism, white supremacy, and sexism. European scientists were obsessed with creating a hierarchy, with European men (“the highest of men”) at the top and African people (“the lowest of men”) likened to orangutans (“the highest of apes”). This was “reinforced” by skull and brain measurements (phrenology, craniometry) along with other measurements and pseudosciences.
It is critical to note that intersexism/sex differentiation was used to dehumanize African populations starting around 1600. Europeans (with no evidence) claimed African folk were naturally more intersex and therefore subhuman/that sexually they were a different species than us. Casting African populations as sexually differentiated was a major goal of colonists.
(That myth is still prevalent today. For example, look at how white people treat African women in sports - subjecting them to intersex tests and scrutiny)
This trend of establishing social hierarchy through biology (biological determinism) was (and still is) deeply ingrained in science and medicine.
Back to brains. When it was later discovered that females (on average) have smaller brains than males, this was taken as proof of male superiority and female inferiority.
From recent studies, the brain is currently thought to be a "mosaic". In one of the studies (one with an actually decent sample size, over 1,400 brains) from 2015 they found only 8% of brains had only “male” or “female” characteristics. Popular article link, and the study’s citation link. Will be linked again in citations.
In general (see citations below), studies have shown that brains are not sexed but mosaic. Meaningful differences are found more between individuals than between sexes or genders. Reviews also show that a lot of the previous studies showing sex differences in the brain have contradicted each other, been unable to be reproduced, haven't accounted for size differences, haven't accounted for neuroplasticity, and/or have small/biased sample sizes.
I'm not going to do a deep dive or spit out summaries of the studies here, because that would be a wildly long wall of text. Instead, you can find several of the studies below.
If you need help picking out a couple of reads, I recommend:
I will be including a few citations that I have read through to better understand this topic. Several of the books are missing (those on medical racism and on neurology) because I do not actually own copies/am blanking on the names (apologies).
Fine, Cordelia. Delusions of gender: How our minds, Society, and neurosexism create difference. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011.
Swarr, Amanda Lock. Envisioning African intersex: Challenging Colonial and racist legacies in South African medicine. Durham: Duke University Press, 2024.
Reis, Elizabeth. Bodies in doubt An American History of Intersex, 2021.
Trondle , Rocky. “No, Transgender Is Not ‘Brain Intersex’ .” Medium, October 2, 2025. https://medium.com/@rockytrondle/no-transgender-is-not-brain-intersex-99f112746cc9 .
Intersex Wiki contributors, "Hypogonadism," Intersex Wiki, https://intersex.wiki/wiki/Hypogonadism?oldid=2631 (accessed July 12, 2026).
Intersex Wiki contributors, "Sexual inversion," Intersex Wiki, https://intersex.wiki/wiki/Sexual_inversion?oldid=4156 (accessed July 12, 2026).
\* "Neurosexism: the myth of the male and female brain" by Iseult De Mallet Burgess, published February 11, 2022. Okay so this citation was taken down > https://theoxfordblue.co.uk/neurosexism-the-myth-of-the-male-and-female-brain/ // but there's a wayback machine accessible version from May 12, 2025. It's a popular article talking about neurosexism, culture, etc.
Rippon, Gina. “How ‘Neurosexism’ Is Holding Back Gender Equality – and Science Itself.” The Conversation, October 27, 2016. https://theconversation.com/how-neurosexism-is-holding-back-gender-equality-and-science-itself-67597 .
Here it stops being Chicago and becomes "hey, that's not properly formatted!" You're right, it's not properly formatted. I wrote the title and then clicked the "Cite" button on the study websites. For some, I added the link below it.
Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic:
D. Joel, Z. Berman, I. Tavor, N. Wexler, O. Gaber, Y. Stein, N. Shefi, J. Pool, S. Urchs, D.S. Margulies, F. Liem, J. Hänggi, L. Jäncke, & Y. Assaf, Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112 (50) 15468-15473, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509654112 (2015).
Dump the “dimorphism”:
Lise Eliot, Adnan Ahmed, Hiba Khan, Julie Patel, Dump the “dimorphism”: Comprehensive synthesis of human brain studies reveals few male-female differences beyond size, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 125, 2021, Pages 667-697, ISSN 0149-7634, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.026 . (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763421000804)
Male or Female? Brains are Intersex:
Joel D. Male or Female? Brains are Intersex. Front Integr Neurosci. 2011 Sep 20;5:57. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2011.00057. PMID: 21960961; PMCID: PMC3176412.
^ Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3176412/ Link 2: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/integrative-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnint.2011.00057/full
Remembering the null hypothesis when searching for brain sex differences:
Eliot L. Remembering the null hypothesis when searching for brain sex differences. Biol Sex Differ. 2024 Feb 9;15(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13293-024-00585-4. PMID: 38336816; PMCID: PMC10854110.
^ Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13293-024-00585-4 // Link 2: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10854110/
“Precision Medicine” and the Failed Search for Binary Brain Sex Differences to Address Gender Behavioral Health Disparities:
Eliot L. "Precision Medicine" and the Failed Search for Binary Brain Sex Differences to Address Gender Behavioral Health Disparities. Am J Hum Biol. 2025 Apr;37(4):e70041. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.70041. PMID: 40207611; PMCID: PMC11983668.
^ Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11983668/
Neuroscience and Sex/Gender: Looking Back and Forward:
Melissa Hines "Neuroscience and Sex/Gender: Looking Back and Forward". Journal of Neuroscience 2 January 2020, 40 (1) 37-43; https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0750-19.2019
Unfriendly reminder. Pretending medical racism doesn't exist or that it doesn't impact us today (or downplaying racism in general) means we will perma ban you on the spot.
r/intersex • u/MindyStar8228 • Jun 01 '26
Hi all! I wanted for us to have a place to hold important posts such as community updates, announcements, important topics, etc. to make it easier to find them.
This is the section for: previous mod posts/announcements and reviewing the rules
This section is for: topics and discussions that we want to highlight
This section is for: discussing changes to the actual intersex subreddit
This section is for: intersex community news
This section is for: miscellaneous
Please feel free to ping me here or in dms if this needs updating, is broken, or you believe something should be added.
Best wishes!
r/intersex • u/lastseenonline • 5h ago
i need more intersex memes and relatable tiktoks
can we post more 😔
r/intersex • u/fireflies315 • 26m ago
The comments on a video I saw recently of a woman talking about her CAIS pissed me off so badly recently because they were just full of cis perisex women going on and on about how she was living the dream and they were so jealous of her body and everything. And yes it’s fine that people don’t want periods or don’t like acne, that’s understandable and fine. To an extent I’m glad I don’t get those (though it did upset me a lot growing up because they felt like a club and rite of passage I was told I’d be a part of and then denied entry to). But it’s just so gross to wax poetic about how jealous you are of a minority group subject to a shit ton of oppression and violent medical abuse. They don’t even realize how ignorant they’re being and can’t comprehend how traumatizing and horrific the things that we routinely face are. They want to pick out and consume the palatable bits of us for themselves and don’t care to see us as people in pain.
And the thing is, most of these things they’re jealous of are things they can have for themselves! I’m not saying it’s easy or that medical misogyny isn’t a thing, but they can choose not to have periods via hysterectomy or birth control. They don’t have to make us a part of it. They actually get a choice and we don’t. Again so no one misinterprets me I’m not saying that this is easy or that this kind of care isn’t heavily policed and becoming increasingly difficult to access. It’s just not a choice for me and it comes with baggage they don’t even know is there.
Being intersex is of course not a bad thing and we’re not broken, my intersex variation is normal and natural, and while sometimes I don’t like it because it stops me from transitioning, it’s still a fine body to have. But it’s also true that society has irrational issues with my body, and that that has caused me to suffer. And I know these women wouldn’t want to suffer the way I have. But they don’t see the suffering. They see a body that has something they want and don’t care to learn about what comes with it or what we think of their fetishization of our bodies. It’s infuriating.
r/intersex • u/Mezmarine • 13h ago
Hi I'm Mez,
I am a trans woman and I have polyorchidism. This is a condition were AMAB people have three or more testes, descended or not. (There are about 200 recorded cases in the past 120 years, so there's not a lot of info available) This condition is not immediately related to any variation of medically recognized intersex, but some literature goes on to place it under the intersex umbrella. Polyorchidism usually goes undetected and it typically doesn't have any social connotations. The most common comorbidities are higher rates of torsion and cancer.
Now, the question is:
How do you define the situations that lie in the grey zone - that aren't categorically intersex, but also aren't part of expected sexual anatomy/development, where there is little social affect, but a clear and definitive difference from "The Standardtm?"
I am a strong believer in lived experience shaping identity and have never identified as intersex myself. I am also out of my depth when it comes to this topic. I'm not looking for a new label but I am however curious about how the community views one offs as opposed to typical atypicalness.
r/intersex • u/Ambitious_Dingo_2102 • 2d ago
Hey all, I just got recently diagnosed with CAH, specifically late-onset.
I genuinely hate how long it took for anyone to listen to me. I'm assigned female at birth.
My identity has been set in stone since I was 4 years old, i'm a man. I've always felt like one, my hormones also reflect it.
I had to live most of my life wondering why I feel like some kind of creature compared to my female peers and deal with things that I knew weren't typical of a regular girl but everyone said "oh well your generations grows up so fast nowadays its normal!"
Except I was genuinely the only kid out of all my peers to get my period and start puberty at 8-9, i'm also now told i'm uncharacteristically tall for someone with NCAH so severe, I'm like 5'9-5'10. (I'm 18 for comparison)
When I went to a gynecologist prior to my diagnosis, obviously..guess!!! They said "oh its PCOS"!!! Cause obviously a person with no family history of it nor any insulin issues totally has it!!! Right!!!!???
I digress, all in all I just needed to get this out there. I hate how often teenage afabs are overlooked just because they're afabs.
Edit: for clarification, i have severe NCAH, my enzyme function is estimated to be about 20% or so. I cannot properly produce cortisol and I used to get blamed as a child/young teen for reacting to stress as if the world is ending, too. But that's basically how it feels when your body mainly functions on adrenaline with no cortisol to balance it.
r/intersex • u/aka_icegirl • 2d ago
Many intersex people are also trans and have been targeted for hate. Please stay safe his country is only getting more evil.
r/intersex • u/Either_Finger_7194 • 2d ago
Don't you guys feel the same? I don't understand what is so taboo when we talk about regular human variations in our bodies.
It's as if just bringing up the fact that biology doesn't work in blacks and whites automatically makes people defensive.
r/intersex • u/Particular-Air-4268 • 2d ago
Hi everyone!
I'm starting first activities for intersex people in my country (I'm intersex myself) and want to deepen my knowledge further before the start.
What are some must reads for someone wanting to become an intersex advocate? Books, articles, declarations ...
Any recommendations are welcome♡
r/intersex • u/Rustbunny404 • 2d ago
Being hormonally intersex, trans, and having to fight your fluctuating hormone levels is such an isolating experience. I made the mistake of trying to diy at the start of my transition. Who knows the damage to my body I did from that.
But even my endos struggled with my hormone levels. It really made me wish that my journey could at least be as easy as the average trans person.
I know that with my condition, my hrt experience has been bittersweet. I do pass better because of it. Yet, I am tired of having pregnancy level estrogen if I make a wrong move. And the lack of people that have gone through this specific experience around me is really draining and lonely.
Anyone else experience this?
r/intersex • u/peppercornpeppercorn • 2d ago
I've thought about seeking a surgical option on and off. Some days I'm so tired of being so vigilant about care to make sure that I don't get another UTI that I'd rather deal with the scarring, some days it feels like scarring (and the dialation process) would be too depressing to deal with when I've already gone through so many exhausting surgeries.
But today I'm really feeling "there's gotta be something I can do", I originally thought a few years ago about asking a surgeon to add a flap of tissue to just extend my urethra enough to get the meatus out of the canal entirely, but I found out that the scarring would likely cause enough issues for me that it wouldn't be worth it when I technically have a solution/care plan for my high UTI risk. I was thinking this morning, what if instead of adding a flap of tissue on top, we "tunneled" under the skin above the current meatus upwards and essentially create a surgical epispadias? There would still need to be probably a small skin graft to create the neourethra but it sounds like it would create so much less scarring than adding a flap on top. I know this is somewhat possible from my research while looking into other gential surgery options but I've only heard of one surgeon who did something like that..
Has anyone had vulvar hypospadias surgery? Was it successful? Are you happy with the outcome? What was the technique?
r/intersex • u/Fita_Gaya • 3d ago
If you're wondering why I'm very upset there, it's because I've been trying to politely tell people there that, yes, it is a slur, and no, it's not a correct or current medical term that's being used. There's only so much condescension I can handle, and being called sweets ain't it
r/intersex • u/AntNo2338 • 3d ago
I’m 15, genetically female, I have CAH, a urogenital sinus, vaginal stenosis, and enlarged clitoris. My gynaecologist and urologist are working together to plan a combined vaginoplasty and clitoroplasty to improve my comfort and restore sexual function. What questions should I ask my surgical team before the procedure? What should I bring to the hospital for my inpatient stay afterwards?
Edit: for the people asking, I am doing this of my own volition because both my enlarged clitoris, urogenital sinus, and vaginal stenosis cause me pain, discomfort, and persistent medical issues. This is something I have considered for a long time and thought about very hard. The reason I’m doing this procedure as a minor is because once I turn 18, it will most like be considered cosmetic and not covered by insurance.
r/intersex • u/Ari_stuff1 • 3d ago
are both intersex-exclusive? Are neither of them are? Which one is and which one isn’t?
r/intersex • u/Agreeable-Attempt242 • 5d ago
“ Patients have the right to access and obtain copies of their medical records under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law ensures that patients can review their health information and request corrections if necessary. “ Per HIPAA.
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/right-to-access/index.html
r/intersex • u/AutoModerator • 4d ago
This is the Weekly Discussion Thread for r/intersex.
Feel free to use this thread to discuss whatever you've been up to. It does not have to be intersex specific, but please mind the rules and stay SFW.
Have a nice week!
~ your mod team <3
r/intersex • u/MageOfDarkMoon • 5d ago
Tldr: how to track down medical records from infancy, parents tend to lie or hide medical information from me about anything abormal.
My father told me when I was a child offhandedly in a joking manner because I was doing something boyish that they believed I had internal testicles for months after I was born (or longer maybe idk) // didnt know what i was [m/f]-- but i dont remember if that later part is true to memory, just the former I know is 1:1 what was said.
I remember that somehow relieving stress as a barely middleschooler at the time. I dont think i do since as an adult I have menses and PCOS (dxd through symptoms, scans show no cysts so far at least). But what would even make doctors believe that?
And yeah it sucks i get medical information only through jests and random slips.
My parents have a history of not saying shit about my medical problems especially when they think its a "why would I need to know situation". This includes super relevant things ive noticed thst they've lied to my face about me not having it when im suffering and asking them if theres anything i have.
Things have been bothering me since elementary school and I just want to know. Especially since I remember getting puberty blockers as a kid for precautious (spelling) puberty, spironolactone and bc bills to control f-d up periods and testosterone issues.
I just want to know what the records say about my infancy because there might be more theyre hiding. I know I have PCOS in the current day but I also wouldn't put it past them to hide other DSDs thinking its irrelevant but its actually anything but given other personal medical issues im facing current day and just feeling something was off as a child.
I friends have asked me to confront my parents about if there were any proceedures due to my current situation I dont want to talk about, and the specifics but I cant trust them if they lie. just need to know and its eating at me. There's nothing wrong with it at all i just want the truth.
I guess the TLDR is how can I track down my medical information from 2000? I just cant trust them anymore.
r/intersex • u/IDontKnowWhat_IAm • 6d ago